The invention relates to a sole made of rubber or other elastic material for shoes, especially sports shoes, with studs or cleats distributed on at least part of a tread of the sole, at least some of which are inclined relative to the tread.
Soles of this type are known from German Gebrauchsmuster (Utility Model) 1,634,279. In these known soles only edge projections on both sides thereof are inclined relative to the sole surface, so that on load application and resulting curvature of the sole, the treads of the edge projections move into the same plane as the other projections to provide for a degree of protection from skid. It has been demonstrated however that such expedients do not provide for sufficient grip, especially lateral stability, in consideration of the versatility of the use of sports shoes on some very different surfaces.
Therefore, the object of the invention is to improve soles of the above-disclosed type so as to provide a high degree of slip resistance, sole elasticity, and lateral stability even on different deck surfaces, and especially on hard surfaces, such as asphalt streets or roads where sufficient shock absorption must be obtained in order to protect the runner from excessive strain.
According to the invention this object is achieved in a sole with studs or cleats at least some of which are inclined relative to the tread of the sole by constructing the studs of cleats with plural arms at least some of which extend at an angle of about 30.degree.-120.degree. with respect to each other and form an angle of about 10.degree.-85.degree. with the base of the tread.
The multiple-arm structure of the studs or cleats, and their inclination relative to the sole base provide for a sufficient shock-absorbing effect even when the stud material is relatively hard and therefore wear resistant. This condition applies even when there is no intermediate sole between the sole and the insole, or said intermediate sole is thinner than normal in known sports shoes. Another feature of a shoe, especially a sports shoe, provided with with a sole in accordance with the invention is that it is relatively light in weight in comparison to conventional shoes as the intermediate sole must extend over a very large portion of the total sole surface and thus a reduction in its thickness or elimination thereof has a significant effect.
The multiple-arm studs or cleats are extensible in the manner of a shock absorber also and results in excellent lateral stability, which is particularly advantageous when running along curves in sports competition. Additionally, due to the shock-absorberlike extensibility of the multiple-arm studs or cleats, the angle between said arms and the angle between the arms and the sole varies on load application and release, so that dirt particles cannot be retained in the wedge-shaped recesses formed between the arms. Therefore, the sole of the invention provides for a definite self-cleaning effect.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.